City school construction funding, gas tax bill also to be penned

Gov. Martin O'Malley signed one of the toughest gun control measures in the country into law Thursday, but even before the ink dries, opponents aim to kill the bill -- either through the courts or by referendum.

A petition drive is underway to put the law before voters while other groups vow a court battle.

"The (National Rifle Association) is going to choose forum shopping. They are going to look for a conservative, right wing-leaning judge," Senate President Mike Miller said.

The law takes effect Oct. 1, mandating that those purchasing for the first time any gun other than a hunting rifle or shotgun get a license, submit a fingerprint to police, pass classroom and range training and undergo an extensive background check. The law also bans 45 types of semiautomatic-style rifles and limits magazines to 10 bullets.

"States with similar licensing provisions have substantially lower gun death rates than states that do not, so if we want better results we have to make better choices, and this legislation is part of that series of the better choices that we are making," O'Malley said.

The other states include New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Hawaii.

The measure also bans gun ownership by people who have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility.

Getting the legislation through even the Democratic-controlled General Assembly proved extremely difficult.

"We had numerous sessions, and I think everybody was tired of Jimmy John sandwiches by the time we got done, but I think the product that we produced is going to benefit the state of Maryland and be a model for the country," House Speaker Michael Busch said.

Every seat in the House and Senate is up for grabs next year, and gun control advocates will soon launch a public relations campaign, including TV ads, to deflect anticipated criticism to help lawmakers who voted for the bill stay in office.

"What we are going to do next week is run on TV to explain to voters how effective this law is because we want to make sure that those who voted for the legislation run on it, not away from it," said said Vicent Demarco, president of the group Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence.

Baltimore City State's Attorney Gregg Bernstein strongly supports the measure, but he expressed disappointment that other components more beneficial to crime-fighting in Baltimore City failed to be included.

"I think if we can have a mandatory minimum sentence, that would be very helpful," Bernstein said.

The governor considered his gun control bill a top priority in what some describe as the most productive legislative sessions in recent memory.

"If you want better results, you have to make better choices, and this legislation is part of that series of better choices that we are making," O'Malley said.

O'Malley, a Democrat, proposed the bill in January in response to the December shooting in Newtown, Conn., where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults.

Maryland State Police will be able to suspend the licenses of gun dealers who fail to comply with new record-keeping obligations. The provision will allow the state police to supplement enforcement efforts of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The measure also requires mandatory reporting to law enforcement of lost or stolen firearms.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Doug Gansler released a 25-page legal review expressing confidence that the law is constitutional and legally defensible.

The O'Malley administration also highlighted what the measure does not do. For example, it does not require additional licensing procedures for hunting rifles and shotguns. It also doesn't require companies who manufacture assault weapons in Maryland to stop production. The measure also does not require current lawful gun owners to retroactively obtain a license.

Other legislation to be signed into law

O'Malley has announced the first round of highway and transit projects that will be paid for with Maryland's first gas tax increase in 20 years. The governor signed the gas tax increase into law Thursday.

The cost of the projects is about $1.2 billion. In addition to about 10 road projects around the state, it also includes funding for final design for transit projects in Baltimore and the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

The gas tax increase is estimated to generate $800 million a year when fully implemented.

The new law levies a sales tax on gasoline that will amount to about 4 cents a gallon this July and another 8 cents by July 2015. It could rise another 8 cents by July 2016.

O'Malley also signed new construction and renovation legislation that will give Baltimore City schools a financial shot in the arm. The measure allows the city to issue about $1 billion in bonds to build as many as 15 new schools and renovate up to 40 others in the next few years.

IN TIMONIUM, BUT GEORGE LETTIS, WBAL-TV 11 NEWS. THE GOVERNOR SIGNED INTO WHAT IT ONE OF THE STRONGEST GUN CONTROL MEASURES IN THE COUNTRY. THE QUESTION -- WILL EVER GO INTO EFFECT? DAVID COLLINS JOINS US LIVE WITH MORE ON THE STORY. EVEN BEFORE THE INK DRIED, OPPONENTS TAKING AIM TO KILL IT ON TWO FRONTS. THERE IS A PETITION DRIVE TO PUT IT BEFORE VOTERS AND EITHER ONE COULD DELAY. SENATE BILL 281, THE FIRE ARE SAFETY ACT OF 2013. "THE GOVERNOR'S SIGNATURE AMOUNTS TO THE FIRING OF A STARTING PISTOL AS OPPONENTS SCRAMBLE TO KILL IT. A PETITION DRIVE IS UNDER WAY TO PUT THE NEW LAW BEFORE VOTERS. OTHER GROUPS ABOUT A COURT BATTLE. THE NRA IS GOING TO LOOK FOR CONSERVATIVE, RIGHT-WING JUDGES. THE LAW MANDATES THOSE PURCHASING ANY DONE OTHER THAN A HUNTING RIFLE OR SHOTGUN TO GET A LICENSE, SUBMIT A FINGERPRINT TO POLICE, HAVE TRAINING AS WELL AS AN EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND CHECK. IT BANS 45 TYPES OF ASSAULT AUTOMATIC RIFLES. IT LIMITS MAGAZINES TO 10 BULLETS. GETTING THIS THROUGH PROVED TO BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. EVERYONE WAS TIRED OF JIMMY JOHN'S SANDRIDGE IS BAD TIMING GOT DOWN TO COME TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH. -- SANDWICHES , TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH. THIS IS GOING TO BE A MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. EVERY SEAT IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE IS UP FOR GRABS. THEY WILL BE DEFLECTING ANTICIPATED CRITICISM TO HELP LAWMAKERS WHO VOTED FOR THE BILL TO STAY IN OFFICE. STARTING NEXT WEEK, WE WILL BE RUNNING A TELEVISION AD TO EXPLAIN TO VOTERS HOW EFFECTIVE THIS LOT IS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NEXT YEAR, THOSE WHO VOTED FOR THE WHAT IN THE LEGISLATURE RUN ON IT, NOT AWAY FROM IT. GREG BERNSTEIN STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE MEASURE, BUT HE EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT THAT OTHER PORTIONS FAILED TO BE INCLUDED. THAT WE COULD HAVE A MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCE, ABOUT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THE GOVERNOR CONSIDERED THIS A TOP PRIORITY IN WHAT SOME DESCRIBED AS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN RECENT MEMORY. IF WE WANT BETTER RESULTS, WE HAVE TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES THAN THIS LEGISLATION AS PART OF THAT SERIES OF BETTER CHOICES WE ARE MAKING. THE NRA IS EXPECTED TO CHALLENGE THE LAW IN COURT AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. AT 7:30 COMPETITION ORGANIZERS